


Judy Hopps and the Ghost of the Great Pangolin Arms

by PBReyes



Category: Zootopia (2016)
Genre: Attempt at a police procedural, Complete ignorance of how the police actually work, Gen, Multi, Serial Killer, Slow Burn, Suspense, Title Subject to Change, think a mix of Sherlock Holmes and Juno Steele
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-18
Updated: 2020-09-28
Packaged: 2021-03-07 16:14:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,438
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26530462
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PBReyes/pseuds/PBReyes
Summary: It’s been nearly two years since the events of the Night Howler Case. Nick and Judy are well on their way to being promoted to detectives. But with two recruits under their wings and serial killer on the loose, are they ready for the change? Or will it be more than they’ve ever bargained for?
Relationships: Judy Hopps/Nick Wilde
Comments: 2
Kudos: 9





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: Zootopia is a Disney owned property. 
> 
> Nick- aged 34  
> Judy- aged 26
> 
> All original characters will have a small bio at the end notes.

_ Prologue  
_ **_Officer Judy Hopps_ **

**___ _ **

In my younger years, along with my fair share of hustles, I was attempting to make my mark as a businessman. Equipped with a degree fresh out of community college, I set out in pursuit of a business venture that was more dream than reality. I was prepared, too. Complete with blueprints, a not-so-small loan from a family very close to crime boss Mr. Big, and a ragtag group of misfits. But dreams seldom become reality. 

**___ _ **

What had looked like a golden ticket of opportunity became nothing but a harsh wake up call during my adult formative years. The theme park idea was a total bust. For years, I lived with my old friend Finnick in his van, mourning the loss. The polar bear family that took a chance on me, after I couldn’t repay my debts, cashed in a favor from Mr. Big himself. Nothing serious. Just a threat to send me running for the hills and back. Even then, he took me in. I was a young fox tod in his early twenties and he saw potential in that. Which was why my attempt to hustle him still stung the old shrew. 

**___ _ **

Wasn’t much of a big time hustler after that. I went back to Finnick, only to find our friends had already moved on. Honey Badger, total conspiracy nut, became a student in the medical field. Benny went off to the police academy. It was just me and Finnick again. The small yet older fox took me in when I ran away from home. He didn’t know who I was or where I was coming from, but he didn’t care. He only saw a twelve year old fox kit going hungry in the streets. I’ll need to thank him one of these days. 

**___ _ **

I had no kits or any kinship outside of my mother, and therefore I was as free as my income of $200 a day allowed me to be. For some time, I stayed in hotel rooms, which soon became much more than I could afford in the city, and forced me to settle into a rundown empty lot of an apartment. But a home is a home, as they say. And as far as I could tell, there was no law against me settling in a comfortless, meaningless existence. It should have been enough. “Should” being the key word in this. 

**___ _ **

Meeting Judy Hopps changed me. From the first encounter alone, she was able to hit me where it hurts. Her claims of me not trying to be anything more than a popsicle hustler cut me deep in a way so complicated, it made my stomach twist and my chest tighten. Of course I wanted to be more than a popsicle hustler; and I definitely tried. But circumstances failed me. Yet here she was, judging me, outright  _ pushing  _ me to pursue something greater. Even going so far as to blackmail me into helping her. 

**___ _ **

Maybe that’s why I naturally gravitated towards her. She saw an idealistic world of hope, something that was squashed in me from the moment I was born a fox. She looked at Zootopia, a cesspool of pride and prejudice that bred cynicism and sold it in bulk, and saw potential in it. Saw potential in  _ me _ . I was hooked on her before I was given the chance to say otherwise. I reveled in our brief history. Internalized speciest views, shared trauma, our worlds being two sides of the same coin. The amount we have in common versus the clear differences we share; it’s what makes our unbreakable partnership. 

**___ _ **

Even still comes the fair share of oddities and disagreements. Being roommates was the best economical choice, for sure, but I’d be lying if I said it didn’t come with its own set of pratfalls. She keeps everything meticulously tidy. So much so that she often complains about my fur shedding on the couch. She’s also very,  _ very _ comfortable around me. Almost too comfortable. We needed to have a talk about her using the bathroom when I’m in the shower (thank god for the plumber who fixed the temperature situation). Or whose fur keeps clogging the drain (I swear my fur does not have that many grays). But overall, I still prefer this over Finnick’s van. 

**___ _ **

Then again, Finnick wasn’t a natural born detective. 

**___ _ **

Judy Hopps keeps a wedding dress locked tightly away in the back of her closet. I found out when I was helping her unpack. She looked bothered and turned away from me. “Something from back home,” she said. It was the look in her eyes that told me there was more to the story than that. But I didn’t push it. If she wanted to tell me, she would. That being said, I have my own fair share of secrets I’d rather  _ keep _ a secret. And yet…

**___ _ **

The pained look upon her face when I asked so casually about it was burned into my memory. As if whatever I was looking at, what I was putting my paws on, were much more than soft layers of fabric. She showed a level of care when she tucked it deep, deep within the confines of her closet. Judy was the type of person who didn’t just wear her heart on her sleeve; she  _ displayed  _ it. But for just that instance, she kept it as hidden as the dress. It was the ghost of a version of her she didn’t want to think about. A part of her she didn’t want me to see. 

**___ _ **

I was worried and I knew she could see it. There’s no hiding my cursed emotions from her. Judy Hopps changed who I was; from a hustler to a big city cop. As much as I try to prove otherwise, I’m not the fox I used to be. The recognition from other hustlers, con-artists, smooth talking salesmen, you name it; it was gone the second she pinned that badge on me. Those looks my old “friends” send my way when we’re out on patrol; those are  _ my ghosts.  _ Each corner I used to stand by and wait for any poor mammal to look my way; each store I once ran out of with pockets full of stolen goods, stores and corners that I now walk through smiling ear to ear with my partner by my side… ghosts from my past follow close behind. 

**___ _ **

What I would’ve given just to know what happened to her. Had I known all that would come since then, I would have let sleeping wolves lie. I probably would’ve run for the hills, far away from the bunny who saved my life. Fortunately, I didn’t. I was foolish enough to stay, and far too deep to ever consider leaving. 

**___ _ **

I’d still get to miss her warmth next to mine. 


	2. Around the Corner

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s Monday! Nick and Judy meet a couple rookies. Bogo hands them a new, big case.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! 
> 
> First, I’d like to say thank you for reading!!! :)
> 
> Second, I’m writing all of these in advanced in order to keep up. The next one should be up (hopefully) ten days from now. 
> 
> Be kind and stay safe, folks!  
> <3

**Chapter 1**

_“Around the Corner”_

The City of Zootopia, as beautiful as it is, had to be the prettiest piece of junk you’d ever get to see. Sure, put it in an angle and squint, it’ll look like a utopia of a metropolis. But if you get up close and personal with it, you’ll see it for what it is. Stain after stain after stain on your old Sunday‘s best. A manufactured beauty, if anything. But hey, it’s home. And home is less the house and more the people. 

“Morning, Slick!” Judy’s voice nearly made me trip on my feet. She looked coyly at me, like a hunter with her prey. I could tell she was purposely laying her Bunnyburrow lingo on thick this morning. “You doing okay, city slicker? Mornings too much for yah?”

I sighed, knowing this was only the beginning of a very long day. We did our usual morning walk-and-talk to the break room. “Go easy on this old fox, Carrots. Not everyone can be a cute farmer bunny like you.” 

She wrinkled her nose and— _honestly,_ how could anyone _not_ find that cute? “Don’t call me _cute!_ I’ve told you this twenty-three times now!”

I couldn’t help the ugly snort that came out. “You counted?”

She didn’t need to answer because the glowing blush on her ears and beneath her fur was more than enough to let me know. “That’s besides the point! It’s _very_ condescending.”

My overly dramatic and exaggerated sigh brought a somewhat reluctant smile on her face. I stopped just before the break room door for my next dramatic break. Tilting my head back to look at her, tail swishing against her ankles where I know for a fact she’s ticklish. “Alas, my dear sweet rabbit friend, how else am I supposed to express mine own weakness for thy tempting charms?”

“Huh?” Her ears tilted to the side along with her head. 

“Adorable,” I rushed to open and shut the door behind me, just to mess with her. She narrowly blocked my chance; just in time for me to have heard the latest rated G expletive from the Hopps Thesaurus. 

She hopped onto the nearest chair while I made us a coffee, wheeling out our metal staircase to reach the counter. Unfortunately, the proportions of the kitchen were built for larger animals, like say a certain water buffalo. But the appliances for coffee had a mandatory side section for smaller mammals. 

We had our own mugs. Judy’s was a signature blue ZPD mug and mine was a slightly bigger mug in the shape of a carrot. A gift from one Mrs. Bonnie Hopps. 

It didn't take a genius to remember how she liked her coffee. She preferred it to match her friendly neighborhood fox. An extremely bitter wake-up call you’d hate to love. Whereas I, _a sophisticated mammal,_ liked mine to be like my favorite crime fighting bunny. Sickeningly sweet. Emphasis on _sickening_. 

“Blech, Nick! I still can’t believe you drink that stuff. You might as well be drinking soda-pop.” She pushed my coffee back over to me.

I shook my head at the disgruntled rabbit. “Serves you right, Carrots. You don’t touch another man’s coffee,” I said, taking a long, languid sip. “We can’t all drink tar pits in the morning. Besides, who calls it _soda-pop_ , anyways?”

She stuck her tongue out at me like a petulant child. Immature as it was, it’s actually kind of… _nice..._ to see her act like that. One isn’t really all-grown-up by twenty-five. Hell, I got my first legitimate job at age 32. If anything, she’s way ahead of the curb. So it was nice to see her not take herself so seriously for once. 

Time flew fast in the comfortable silence. Soon enough, folks started coming in and out of the break room. Fangmeyer showed off an engagement ring from their life partner. Delgato, who’s still trying to figure out what pronouns to call them and— honestly, yah big goofy kitten, it’s not _that_ hard. Francine, going off about her husband to Judy and I. And then, all too soon, it was over. A warning whistle from Higgins was the signal to start walking. By the time we were out the door, all the big mammals were already inside yapping before the ten minute grace period ran up. 

I looked at Judy, who was practically skipping in excitement. Or maybe it was just to keep up with me. Either way, it made me smile enough to say those words that she loved hearing every morning. 

“Ready to make the world a better place?”

She smiled back. No hint of sarcasm in her voice. “Absolutely, one-hundred percent!”

* * *

  
  


The attitude in the bullpen, like every morning since I joined, was _loud._ By the time we made it to our seat, my ears were ringing. It’s a wonder how Judy wasn’t deaf yet. “Carrots, I do not understand your love for mornings when this is what we deal with every day.”

She rolled her eyes. “Small price to pay, Wilde. The benefits are more than worth a little earache.”

“Little? Fluff, Wolfard practically howled into my ear.”

“You know when you eventually settle down with a vixen, you’re gonna have to get used to that!” 

Excusé _moi?_ “Okay. One, foxes do not _howl._ Two, you’re starting to sound like my mom.”

Bringing up mom was a big mistake. Judy looked up at me… with those big, affectionate doe eyes of hers. The kind of eyes that I’m willing to bet is what saved her species from predators like me. She could look at me with those big eyes and ask me to cut out my own still-beating heart and I’d do it. No hesitation. That’s what made her next question that much harder to answer. 

“You’re talking to your mom again?” Her voice was so… _hopeful_. And so concerned. It almost made me want to tell her. Almost. 

Thankfully, Higgins loudly interrupted us to announce Chief Bogo’s entrance. The already loud room somehow became even louder with cheers and hooves and paws thumping in their seats. Proving my ongoing theory that the entirety of the ZPD is a front for a cult who loves working Monday mornings. 

The cheers didn’t die down when the Chief walked through the door. 

“Alright! Everybody, zip it!” The Chief huffed and flipped through the morning docket. It’s the average day to day; who goes where, what, and why. So and so’s birthday is coming up, someone’s tenth anniversary of joining the force, upcoming events, yada yada. But then he did something that he never _ever_ does. 

He slipped off his comically small glasses, tucked it in his shirt, then cleared his throat. “Finally, we have some new recruits today. Two transfers from Outback Island, Precinct Seven. Brothers, Officers Peter and Hunter Harriet.”

The chatter behind me echoed my confusion. Chief _never_ announced new recruits. What made these guys so different? Judy tugged at my side, nose pointing at the object of our confusion. Looking at them… 

These two were a spectacle. I could hardly believe they’re brothers. 

Peter Harriet looked to be about a head taller than Judy and slightly smaller than me, minus the ears. Similar to your average country bunny— except he’s _not_ a bunny. He’s a hare. His fur; an ashen cream with faint white puffs of a winter coat and dark tipped ears, same as Judy’s. Though his most distinguishing feature had to be his left ear. It’s almost disturbing to look at. The outside of his left ear looks like it was bitten. Like someone mistook him for a chocolate rabbit and bit the side of it right off. With his brother by his side, it didn’t look far from the truth. 

Hunter Harriet was tall. About as tall as me, maybe taller. Unlike his brother, Hunter is _not_ a hare _nor_ a rabbit. Hunter is— in fact— an alpine dingo. His fur; a russet shade of red, with faded black lines going from the tip of his ears and to his muzzle, making him look more grizzled and older than what I guessed was his real age. His sheer size made him _look_ like he should be older than Peter, but his face said otherwise. Much too bright, too full to be near me or Judy’s age. My guess was that he was barely past being a kit. 

Together, they made quite the sight to behold. A part of me felt relieved that me and Judy weren’t big news anymore. The other part felt just a _twinge_ of what could be called jealousy. Bogo announcing their existence didn’t really help. 

“Thank you, Chief. We look forward to working with you all,” Peter’s smile didn't quite meet his eyes. He was also looking directly towards me and Judy. 

Bogo nodded at them before dismissing everyone. Well, almost everyone. 

“Hopps, Wilde. My office. _Now.”_

I’ve never seen Chief Bogo look at us that way before. It wasn’t his standard scowl with a soft underbelly. Instead, it was like he was about to tell us our pet goldfish went out to pasture. Me and Judy shared a look, neither of us knowing what to expect. 

An aching feeling cemented itself in my guts. 

* * *

The Chief’s office was always larger and smaller than I’d expect coming in. Bigger than the apartment Judy and I share. But dwarfed by Chief Bogo. 

“Harriet, close the door,” he says. Our heads swiveled back to see Hunter Harriet push the door shut and stand before it, completely on guard. Bogo’s attention comes back to us. “Hopps and Wilde, have a seat.”

We do. Judy first, to help pull me up on the seat with her and then, we looked up at Bogo. His eyes carefully trained on the two of us. I never took him for the anxious type but this time, I could smell it. There was something that he didn’t want to say, but absolutely had to. He set a large case file on the table.

“Hopps, I’ve read your file. You’ve acquired a degree in criminal justice and forensics, is that right?” He asked. 

“Yes, sir. Double majored. Master in criminal justice and bachelor in forensics.” Judy said. She smirked at my initial shock. I’ve only recently graduated from community, how she had the energy to double major, graduate, and become valedictorian at the Academy by age twenty-four, I will never know. 

The Chief nodded approvingly. His eyes flicker back at me. “And Wilde, I hear you’ve graduated?”

I gulped. “Yes, sir. Oasis Central College.”

“Major?”

“Oh! Uh, criminal justice,” I choked at the withering glare “...sir.”

He nodded. I can’t help but feel he’s not as pleased with my answer. But Judy’s proud smile eased my worries away. The brief calm broke when Chief Bogo settled in his chair, the grim look on his face refusing to let up. 

“I trust that the information I’m going to tell you will _not_ reach the ears of your fellow officers.” He paused until we nodded. “We’ve got a new case. It’s big and a lot more _grotesque_ and _sensitive_ than I’d like.” Motioning for us to open the case file and— the images still make me want to vomit. 

There were bodies. _So many bodies_ **_._ ** All butchered and hung up like the biggest catch of fish. All prey animals; horse, cow, pig, buffalo, and… bunny. I glanced at Judy. She looked as pale as I felt. I almost envied her body’s lack of a gag reflex. The cuts were clean. Way too clean for this to be a series of random attacks. These were planned, purposeful. Someone’s been butchering mammals… but for _what?_

“I think it’s pretty obvious we have a serial killer on our hands. The Harriets here have been given a similar case at the Outback. Too similar. But their lead went cold up until now. That’s why I decided to pair them up with you two. 

I won’t lie. It’s also partly because you’re both small mammals. Pred-prey with pred-prey looks better for the media. But, above all else, I trust you two to work with the Harriet’s to solve this. You’re both nearing your two year marks. Do _not_ mess this up.”

“Do we have a secured space to work on this, sir?” Judy asked. 

Chief nodded. “I showed the Harriets when they came in earlier this morning. They can lead you to it.”

The dingo came up from behind us and swiftly grabbed the case file. He gave us a wide smile, showing those sharp front teeth that made me every bit as nervous as I did coming in. His accent; thick and heavy. “Well, come on, then! Time's-a-wastin’!”

“Wait— Hunt!” The dingo runs off before his brother has a word in. The smaller Harriet sighed as we followed him out the door, after his brother. “I apologize for my brother’s enthusiasm. He was very delighted to hear we’d be working with the legendary Hopps-Wilde duo.”

I snickered. “Is that what they’re calling us?”

“Indeed,” he said. “Officer Hopps, Officer Wilde- I may not show as much excitement as Hunter, I hope you know that I am eager to work with you both.”

“Ack, so _formal_. Please, call me Judy,” she said with a smile, stretching a paw out to him. 

Unlike before, the hare’s smile looked more genuine as they shook paws. “Peter. It’s a pleasure.”

* * *

  
  


The walk down the hall was quick. Coming in, Hunter had already booted up the computers. “So!” I clapped, wanting to get to business. “Bogo said you two’ve seen this before?”

Peter gave a terse nod. “Unfortunately. Back on the Island, little before the Bridge Protests, there were a series of missing mammals cases popping up all over. We looked under every rock and tree, even going through the woods ‘cross the river bank. We had sniffers pretty much all over the area.”

“Where’d you end up finding them?”

I swear you could see his entire body tense up and go deathly still. Ready to flee at a moment's notice. “Abandoned warehouse at the fishing ports. One of those butchery places. It looked like whoever was down there just… disappeared. And left all the pieces behind.” The haunted sorrow in his voice shifts to that of aggressive discontent. The images were sickening enough as it is. Can’t imagine what it must’ve been like to see it up close and personal. “An old friend of ours moved out here. Mother’s influence, not hers. She was still a minor at the time.”

“She’s about my age now,” Hunter interjected. “Just saying.” The sly look he sent to Peter is telling. There’s some feelings there, I bet. 

_“Anyways,”_ he said, forcing the conversation back to focus. “This case… it’s the reason she had to leave in the first place. Her father was one of the victims,” he pulled out and showed us the victim’s file. “Marty Forrest. He was like family to me.”

An apology now would feel shallow. But I empathize with him. To have someone close to you die in such a way and having another someone walk out of your life because of it, it couldn’t have been easy. He didn’t look like he wanted to talk further, so I didn't push it. Awkwardly, I pat his shoulder in consolation. 

“Alright,” I said, shifting my attention to the computers and taking my seat. Judy plopped down next to me. “Was the info from Precinct 7’s labs sent over to here yet?”

“Should’ve been forwarded to you by now, yes.” Peter said. 

“Found it. Carrots, take a look.”

She leaned in and squinted. “They’re all prey?”

“Yeah,” Not bothering to mask the gravity in my voice. “Think they’re connected?”

She gave a definitive nod. “It’d be one hell of a coincidence otherwise. What’re the other similarities?”

Hunter spoke up this time. “All prey, all dismembered in the same fashion. The most common missing parts are the thighs, guts, and the occasional head and uh...they were skinned.” He choked at the last part.

“I know it’s hard, kid, but try to dissociate from it until we can talk freely,” I felt bad for the guy, but he chose to get into a murder case before growing his sea legs. These were things he’d need to learn how to move past. Still… it doesn’t make it any less difficult. “There anything else?”

He sniffled, furthering along my guilt. “Not really. The ones on the Island looked like a bloodbath. These look clean, but that could be because we don’t know where their operations is.”

“Fish market could be our best guess,” Judy said. 

Normally I would agree but… “You think they’d use the same cover twice?”

“Got any better ideas?” She shot back. I don’t. “Anyways, I got _family_ there. We might be able to ask about any gossip.”

Oh. 

_Oh._

“Are you sure?” I asked nervously. “It’s ah— pretty cold out there. And, well, you know how I am around your _family.”_

Hunter had apparently perked up since our little talk barely two minutes ago because he jumped at the opportunity for a normal conversation. “Oh! Your family moved out here too, Miss Hopps? That’s really sweet! Ya’know, hares aren’t as generous when it comes to fertility, but I’ve been told rabbits have quite the amount of siblings!” He spoke nearly a mile a minute. 

Oh, Hunter… you sweet, _sweet_ _summer child._

Peter whispered for him to be quiet but it was too late. Judy glared at me for my long, toothy grin that just kept growing. 

“Well, Hunter,” Judy started, giving me a pointed look to shut my trap. “I do have a lot of siblings. It’s not really all that big where I come from, but it’s up there. Definitely more than the average city warren.”

“Oh yeah? How many?”

Now _she_ was the one smiling. “Last I checked? Two-hundred ninety-seven.”

I could hear Hunter choke on his words, making Peter speak for him. To his credit, he sounded equally taken back. “Two- _hundred?!”_

“— _Ninety-seven...”_ Hunter finished. “We’ve got ten other brothers and sisters. You just made twelve kits sound like nothing!”

I yelped out a laugh. “You’re telling me! I’m an only child! I tell ya, when I came over to visit for Thanksgiving, I thought the whole darn town was there. Turns out that it wasn’t even _half_ of her family!”

_“Nick…”_

“They’ve even got a guide map for their _guests!”_

“Okay, we can stop talking about my family now!” Her voice got as high as a tea kettle and the heat coming from her ears was more hot than the actual boiling water inside. 

“Just teasing, Carrots,” I chuckled, giving the base of her ears a gentle rub to calm her down. I turned back to the rookies. “Hopps and I are gonna go down to Tundratown and check our ears. You two look for any more connections. Be it diets—,”

“Living arrangements,” Judy mumbled. 

“—places they like to shop, schools. Any connection at all other than being prey.” I finished.

Judy had already grabbed our laptop and was now standing at the door frame. “We’ll rendezvous at 1700.”

  
  


* * *

It was my turn to drive. 

We were in our cruiser and halfway to Tundratown when Judy asked, “You sure it was a good idea to leave them back there?”

I shrugged while sipping a snarlbucks frapp. “If they were good enough back at Outback to continue the investigation over here, then we can trust them alone for a few hours.” 

Around the corner was the destination one Fru-Fru Big texted us; _the Bloody Moon._ An almost forgotten canid bar at the moonlight of Zootopia’s Nocturnal District. 

“Besides, what’s the worst that could happen?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Peter Harriet  
> Aged- 24  
> Height-3ft 5in  
> Fur- light brown/black  
> Eyes- blue  
> Additional feat.— Bite mark at left ear
> 
> Species: Lepus Timidus (hare) 
> 
> Likes: dessert, pastries, kicking butt, taking names  
> Dislikes: blood, heights, bad puns, injustice


End file.
